fishing cOnTinUed

Looking to the future rsa andWWf are working together to help create a network of marine protection areas (mpas) in order to protect species and coastal communities’ livelihoods. mpas can boost sh numbers, increase their size and restore fragile ecosystems if based on strong scientic foundations and developed through consultation with key stakeholders.

planning networks of mpas, not just single sites, can create a foundation for sustainability across a region. networks can help protect habitats, providing safe havens, allowing endangered species to also recover and contribute to sustainable shing.

in addition we will map key areas of biodiversity and assess the impacts of commercial activities including shipping, shing and oil and gas extraction in the atlantic and arctic canadian coastlines.

The maps will help enable consultation with all stakeholders and determine the right direction to take, to create a sustainable shing industry for all.

Kevan Gielt ,President,coast Underwriters

“coast Underwriters is a leading marine underwriter involved in all recognised lines of marine insurance and part of rsa canada.

“The main threat we face when insuring shing vessels is the overall viability of the industry; there is a direct correlation between an industry downturn and an increase in claims.When times are good, more money is invested in equipment but this can impact on sh stocks further.This creates a vicious circle and unless we consider measures to tackle this situation therefore it’s an unsustainable trend.

“There is always an active debate on what new scientic information on the environment reveals. hydro power, sh farms and record high seal populations all play a role in affecting



sh levels. most interestingly what we are seeing

is that political and social factors both impact on the environment. decisions are made on where to locate sh farms, setting shing quotas for different groups of people and controlling predators often for social reasons rather than the best environmental outcome.

“engaging all stakeholders is critical to a successful outcome for everyone.We want to take positive action to help our customers and we are working withWWf to establish mpa’s to protect species from extinction.We are going to be talking to key stakeholders involved in the